2005 Renault Megane Estival 2.0 petrol from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Faults:

I have only had this car for 6 months and it is still under warranty from previous owner.

I have blown 2 globes in front left indicator.

Oil pressure switch replaced.

The CD player gets hot and gives up after about 90 minutes - the CDs are almost glowing when they are ejected!

General Comments:

These are a fantastic car that deserve to be sold by the million, unfortunately Renaults do not sell well in Australia.

You would be hard-pressed to find a better combination of economy, performance, comfort, practicality, good looks, good back seat room and boot size and yet small exterior dimensions.

The Megane has enough toys to keep life interesting. Coming from a 1976 Renault 12, I initially thought things like rain sensing wipers and automatic headlights were a bit of a wank, but now that I have them they are great. The climate control means no more fiddling trying to keep the temperature constant.

It has lots of grey plastic inside which I don't like. It's not overly cheap-looking, but does scratch easily, especially the scuff panels around the door sills. Par for the class I guess. Build quality is decent, but not stunning, however Renaults have always been a little rough around the edges in this regard.

Many have commented on the electric steering being too vague, personally I find it good and this is where the true Renault heritage lies - it is very responsive and gives you a lot of feedback on the road, unlike a lot of modern cars. The brake assistance is also variable with speed, mostly OK, but they are a little grabby at low speed.

The body shape is different enough without being anywhere near as controversial as the hatch. It is reasonably simple yet elegant and has a slightly sporty profile as well. A Renault Sport version would be magic.

Performance is what you'd expect from any 2 litre mid-size sedan. The 6 speed manual is fantastic, slightly notchy, but the gates aren't too close together. Like most Renaults it doesn't hit "band" until about 3000 rpm.

The economy is outstanding - around 7.4 L/100km average. It runs well enough on 95 RON and I have found no great benefit to using 98.

Engine noise is very low at all speeds. Wind noise is higher than I would have expected at 100km/h and beyond for such an aerodynamic body shape.

Service costs are reasonable and in fact less than some Japanese makes.

Finally, safety features are excellent. This car is full of airbags, seat-belt pretensioners and other goodies.